Improvement in portable houses



I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID N. SKILLINGS, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO IIIMSELF, AND DAVID FLINT, OFCAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE HOUSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,758, dated November19, 1861.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, DAvm N. SKILLINGs, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved PortableHouse; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in thefollowing speciication and represented in the accompanying drawings, ot'which Figure l is a perspective View of a house constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top view ot' the sills,showing a horizontal section of the corner-posts. Fig. 3 is an underside view of the four cap-plates as connected together. Fig. 4 is anelevation of one of the corner-posts. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectiontaken through the corner-posts of the building. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 arerespectively transverse sections of one of the plates, one of the sills,and one of the side posts. Fig. 9 denotes a section as removed from theside or end of the house. Fig. lO is a transverse section of the same.Fig. 1l shows an elevation of one of the sections ot' the roof, and Fig.l2 a section of one of the cornerposts.

The object of my invention is to provide a neat, durable, ch ea p, andportable house-one which can readily be put up and taken down in a shordperiod of time by any person of ordinary intelligence.

The nature of my invention .consists not only in a novel mode ofconstructing the frame of a house, but in a new method of constructingand applying the sides, ends, and roof to the framing, the same being ashereinafter described, and as represented in the accompanying drawings.

A AAA denote the sills, which are mitered at their corners and connectedtogether by metallic braces, as seen in Fig. 2.

B B B B are the corner-posts, which are ot' the form shown in Fig. 4,and each is respectively jointed with an end and cap plate O C D D andfirmly secured by means of two metallic braces.

E E, &c., are the rafters, whose lower ends are scored or miteredA tofitthe cap-plates properlyfwhile their upper ends are formed withAshoulders to fit into corresponding recesses formed in the ridge-pole.

F F, 65e., are a series of vertical supports or posts, which arearranged between the co1'- ner-posts and at equal distances apart andare jointed at their tops and bottoms, respectively, to the sills andcap-plates. Each of these said posts is formed in horizontal section, asshown in Fig. 8.

G denotes a section of the paneling of either of the sides or ends.

One of the peculiar features of my invention consists in making theboarding of the sides and ends of the house in sections or frames and sochamfering 0r grooving the inner edges of the vertical posts and theedges of the cap-plates and sills that each frame will fit promiscuouslybetween any two of the said posts like a pane of glass into apropershaped section of a window-sash.

Another important feature of my invention is found in making the root insections, all of which are of the same size, except the end ones, whichare somewhat wider, in order to project over the ends of the building,as seen in the drawings. Each two sections are jointed or come togetherdirectly over one of the rafters, and over each joint a batten or planeconvex piece of wood is secured, as seen in the drawings, while over thejoint formed by the meeting of the upper sections of the rooting Idispose a lhollow angular ridge-pole plate II, made of one piece of Woodor other proper material.

In carrying out my invention I construct each of the side sills and eachof the end sills, as well as each of the cap-plates, as counterparts oteach other. Each of the vertical side and end posts is constructed ofthe same form, with two bevels on its outer vert-ical face for receptionof the frame of one of the sections or panels G. These sections are allof the same size and maybe composed of wood put togetherin any of theknown ways; and, furthermore, if desirable, these sections (one or moreof them) may be constructed like a Venetian turning blind,which, in thesummer season, especiallyin the Southern States, would be veryconvenient.

In constructing houses on my improved plan all the parts sills, posts,plates, doors,

windows, &c.-are cut and itted by machinery to one size, so that anypiece marked N o. l will t and may be used in any other number, althoughall the parts of the whole building are numbered. Should any piece getdisplaced in putting;` up the framing no damage can accrue, as anotherof like character will it its place equally Well. After the sections Ghave been inserted in the sides and ends they are secured in place bymeans of battons c c, dye., screwed or nailed into the vertical posts.

A house constructed in my improved manner can not only be constructed ata small expense` but the parts of it are light and can readily betransported from one place to another and speedily taken down and setup, and constructed on a small scale would be very serviceable to thearmy as a hospital, being, preferable to a tent made of canvas.

D. N. SKILLINGS. lVitnesses:

F. P. HALE, J r., ARTHUR NEILL.

